From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Over 5000 traders and medicine dealers at the Ogbogwu International Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha have rejected plans by some traders in the market to push them to Oba community in its proposed relocation plans as directed by the federal government.
The traders are instead rooting for Oze, Nkwele Ezunaka/Azu Ogbunike, Oyi local government area of the state as the most suitable site for the proposed Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC).
The stakeholders, traders and Board of Trustees in the Ogbogwu International Market, Bridge Head Onitsha, under the auspices of Exclusive International Pharmaceutical Center Nigeria Limited, Bridgehead Onitsha have written to the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo citing several reasons why Oze Nkwele Ezunaka should be the most ideal place for the proposed relocation instead of Oba which some people with ulterior motives have been projecting.
Signed by their legal representative, Anugu Offor Esq, the group disclosed that the Oba centre has been riddled with so many encumbrances ranging from litigation, ownership claims and counter claims, financial indebtedness and environmental challenges which they said the promoters of the Oba centre carefully concealed and suppressed lots of material facts from the benefiting public.
The group who backed their claims with documented facts disclosed to Governor Soludo that the state government had earlier given approval for the Oze Nkwele Ezunaka/Azu Ogbunike centre as the most ideal having been found free of any encumbrances with the size and topography of the place as added advantages.
“The promoters of the Oba centre suppressed the fact that there is serious dispute over theOba land bordering on claims by the original indigenous communities of Oba over unlawful expropriation of the land by the Government withoutcompensation; and the subsequent grant of lease of the said land by the Anambra State Government to a private developer, which led to litigation between owners of the Oba land as the plaintiffs, the Government of Anambra State: and the private developer as defendants.”
Disclosing that work has commenced at the Oze Ogbunike site within a short space of receiving government approval, they noted that there is no evidence of any visible construction or physical development of any kind on the said Oba land since 2016 when the decision was made by the past regime of the Market while majority of the Ogbogwu traders opposed to the choice of Oba have staged several protests protest marches and letters to the Registrar, Pharmacist Council of Nigeria and several market authorities and office of the Anambra state Commissioner for trade, commence, market and wealthcreation.
“The past administration of Mr. Uchenna Eze concealed the fact of existence of a dispute between one Davirose Industries LTD and the private developer, Burkham Nig. LTD, touching on the Oba land in suit N0. HID/108/2016, in respect of which judgment was delivered against the said Burkham Nig. LTD, awarding title over the land to Davirose Industries LTD; and declaring her the bonafide owner of all the structures already built and erected on the land, whilst also granting an order of injunction restraining Burkham Nig. Ltd from further trespass on the land. Copy of the Judgment of Anambra State High court sitting at Ogidi against Burkham Nigeria Limited is enclosed.”
“The decision by the said Uchenna Eze administration to relocate Ogbogwu International market to Oba was rejected by majority of the drug dealers, who were aggrieved because they were not carried along in the scheme of things, and whopreferred a more suitable site (free from any encumbrances) for the project. The Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka/Azu Ogbunike land is free from any form of encumbrances. There is no pending litigation in any court affecting the land. The Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka/Azu Ogbunike land is more than large enough to accommodate greater number of traders in OgbogwuInternational Market, Onitsha; and suitable for the proposed coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) project.”
“Upon the said approval by the state Government, our clients as a proof of their willingness and preparedness to actualize the project had gone the extra mile to design and fabricate a prototype pattern of the coordinated wholesale center (CWC) to be constructed, and had in fact immediately kick-started the project. Our clientshad since the approval by the Anambra State Government, made huge financialcommitments to the project which is already ongoing at Oze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka/Azu Ogbunike land” the letter addressed to Gov. Soludo stated.
It would be recalled that following the policy of the Federal Government to ensure a healthy environment for sales and distribution of drugs and pharmaceutical products, and toclose all open markets for sale and distribution of drugs in Nigeria, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria proposed the establishment of a Coordinated Wholesale Center (CWC) for sales and distribution of drug materials in Nigeria.
Following the said proposal, it became necessary to relocate the over 5,500 drug/medicine dealers carrying on trade presently at the Ogbogwu International Market, Onitsha, to a new healthy and conducive site for the business in line withthe government’s policy.